Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Private detectives and investigators
- Median annual wage: $53,540
- Median hourly wage: $25.74
- Total employment: 50 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying jobs in Gulfport that don't require a college degree
Gen Z has figured out that college isn't the only way to land a high-paying job. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 2 in 5 (38.6%) of recent high school graduates opted out of college in 2023, up from 33.8% in 2019.
This shift comes at a good time for high school grads, as companies face labor shortages for many jobs that don't require a college degree. Baby boomers retiring and a trend to reopen factories in the United States have both driven demand for young talent. A July 2024 Intelligent report found that 1 in 3 companies have already dropped bachelor's degree requirements across entry-level, mid-tier, and even senior positions to attract more employees.
The need for skilled workers, regardless of educational attainment, means better pay. Median wages for those with a high school degree are at their highest since 1990, according to the New York Federal Reserve.
At $40,000 on average, these wages are still $20,000 lower than those of a college grad. Yet nearly 1 in 5 workers who opt out of college earn more than employees with bachelor's degrees. Two million high school grads across the U.S. make six-figure annual salaries—without the financial burden of attending a four-year university. As of 2025, the average annual cost of college is more than $38,200 per student, and the average college graduate has more than $39,000 in student debt. It's little wonder that, according to a May 2024 survey from Pew Research, 29% of Americans think attending college is not worthwhile.
However, not every career field pays high school grads equally well, and understanding what the good jobs are is the first step to landing one. Stacker ranked the 50 highest-paying jobs that don't require a college degree in Gulfport using annual compensation data from the BLS. The analysis included jobs that listed a high school diploma, a postsecondary nondegree award, or had no formal education requirements for entry-level positions. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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BearFotos // Shutterstock
2 / 50#48. First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,930
- Median hourly wage: $25.93
- Total employment: 40 people (0.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kitawit Jitaton // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Telecommunications line installers and repairers (tie)
- Median annual wage: $53,930
- Median hourly wage: $25.93
- Total employment: 70 people (0.45 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
GaudiLab // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. First-line supervisors of office and administrative support workers
- Median annual wage: $54,130
- Median hourly wage: $26.03
- Total employment: 1,490 people (9.43 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kzenon // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Self-enrichment teachers
- Median annual wage: $54,460
- Median hourly wage: $26.18
- Total employment: 180 people (1.15 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
6 / 50#45. Computer numerically controlled tool operators
- Median annual wage: $55,000
- Median hourly wage: $26.44
- Total employment: 80 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Syda Productions // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants
- Median annual wage: $55,230
- Median hourly wage: $26.55
- Total employment: 160 people (1.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Stock Rocket // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products
- Median annual wage: $55,380
- Median hourly wage: $26.63
- Total employment: 610 people (3.83 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
ALPA PROD // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors
- Median annual wage: $55,570
- Median hourly wage: $26.72
- Total employment: 460 people (2.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Luisa Leal Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Electrical power-line installers and repairers
- Median annual wage: $56,370
- Median hourly wage: $27.10
- Total employment: 280 people (1.75 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Indypendenz // Shutterstock
11 / 50#40. Postal service mail sorters, processors, and processing machine operators
- Median annual wage: $56,450
- Median hourly wage: $27.14
- Total employment: 60 people (0.39 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Nejron Photo // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. First-line supervisors of gambling services workers
- Median annual wage: $56,720
- Median hourly wage: $27.27
- Total employment: 580 people (3.64 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Tutors
- Median annual wage: $56,940
- Median hourly wage: $27.37
- Total employment: 160 people (0.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Prath // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Detectives and criminal investigators
- Median annual wage: $57,740
- Median hourly wage: $27.76
- Total employment: 140 people (0.91 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zhanna Kavaliova // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Logging equipment operators
- Median annual wage: $58,260
- Median hourly wage: $28.01
- Total employment: 50 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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SatawatK // Shutterstock
16 / 50#35. Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers
- Median annual wage: $58,840
- Median hourly wage: $28.29
- Total employment: 200 people (1.23 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. First-line supervisors of firefighting and prevention workers
- Median annual wage: $59,160
- Median hourly wage: $28.44
- Total employment: 320 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
G-Stock Studio // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Production, planning, and expediting clerks
- Median annual wage: $59,220
- Median hourly wage: $28.47
- Total employment: 240 people (1.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Paramedics
- Median annual wage: $59,700
- Median hourly wage: $28.70
- Total employment: 120 people (0.76 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
goodluz // Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Real estate sales agents
- Median annual wage: $59,860
- Median hourly wage: $28.78
- Total employment: 110 people (0.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Etaphop photo // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Electricians
- Median annual wage: $60,870
- Median hourly wage: $29.27
- Total employment: 2,030 people (12.82 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
- Median annual wage: $61,190
- Median hourly wage: $29.42
- Total employment: 650 people (4.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BigPixel Photo // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Machinists
- Median annual wage: $61,340
- Median hourly wage: $29.49
- Total employment: 430 people (2.71 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Zahovaev K // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers
- Median annual wage: $61,450
- Median hourly wage: $29.54
- Total employment: 2,400 people (15.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters
- Median annual wage: $61,470
- Median hourly wage: $29.55
- Total employment: 1,360 people (8.59 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. First-line supervisors of police and detectives
- Median annual wage: $61,720
- Median hourly wage: $29.67
- Total employment: 340 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman023_photography // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Riggers
- Median annual wage: $61,860
- Median hourly wage: $29.74
- Total employment: 250 people (1.61 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers
- Median annual wage: $62,380
- Median hourly wage: $29.99
- Total employment: 590 people (3.72 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
rlat // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Postal service clerks
- Median annual wage: $62,430
- Median hourly wage: $30.02
- Total employment: 70 people (0.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
welcomia // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines
- Median annual wage: $62,910
- Median hourly wage: $30.25
- Total employment: 340 people (2.13 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Vladeep // Shutterstock
31 / 50#20. Crane and tower operators
- Median annual wage: $63,360
- Median hourly wage: $30.46
- Total employment: 310 people (1.95 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Carolina K. Smith MD // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Transportation security screeners
- Median annual wage: $63,960
- Median hourly wage: $30.75
- Total employment: 50 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
g-stockstudio // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers
- Median annual wage: $64,350
- Median hourly wage: $30.94
- Total employment: 220 people (1.4 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SritanaN // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Industrial machinery mechanics
- Median annual wage: $65,140
- Median hourly wage: $31.32
- Total employment: 370 people (2.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Wipas Rojjanakard // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Occupational health and safety technicians
- Median annual wage: $66,880
- Median hourly wage: $32.16
- Total employment: 30 people (0.22 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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36 / 50#15. First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers
- Median annual wage: $69,540
- Median hourly wage: $33.43
- Total employment: 820 people (5.16 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
sculpies // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers
- Median annual wage: $72,800
- Median hourly wage: $35.00
- Total employment: 1,330 people (8.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
santi lumubol // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
- Median annual wage: $75,980
- Median hourly wage: $36.53
- Total employment: 320 people (2.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Lodging managers
- Median annual wage: $76,810
- Median hourly wage: $36.93
- Total employment: 120 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
- Median annual wage: $77,670
- Median hourly wage: $37.34
- Total employment: 150 people (0.93 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Oleg Golovnev // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. First-line supervisors of production and operating workers
- Median annual wage: $78,710
- Median hourly wage: $37.84
- Total employment: 1,030 people (6.54 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers
- Median annual wage: $79,220
- Median hourly wage: $38.09
- Total employment: Not available
Dmitry Kalinovsky // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Chemical equipment operators and tenders
- Median annual wage: $79,470
- Median hourly wage: $38.21
- Total employment: 280 people (1.74 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Roman Zaiets // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment
- Median annual wage: $81,790
- Median hourly wage: $39.32
- Total employment: 80 people (0.53 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Christian Lagerek // Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Gas plant operators
- Median annual wage: $82,110
- Median hourly wage: $39.48
- Total employment: 50 people (0.3 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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goodluz // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Transportation, storage, and distribution managers
- Median annual wage: $82,570
- Median hourly wage: $39.70
- Total employment: 230 people (1.47 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
giocalde // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Print binding and finishing workers
- Median annual wage: $95,160
- Median hourly wage: $45.75
- Total employment: 80 people (0.49 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
michaeljung // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Power plant operators
- Median annual wage: $95,890
- Median hourly wage: $46.10
- Total employment: 110 people (0.68 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
HannaTor // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Gambling managers
- Median annual wage: $98,430
- Median hourly wage: $47.32
- Total employment: 70 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Igor Kardasov // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Captains, mates, and pilots of water vessels
- Median annual wage: $100,090
- Median hourly wage: $48.12
- Total employment: 70 people (0.46 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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